LALLI JOHNS - dir. THORFINNUR GUDNASON

Lalli Johns is a small-time criminal in Reykjavik. He as lived on the streets for thirty years and his only fixed address is the jail where he has served a total of seventeen years for thirty-five convictions for petty theft and a variety of other offences. Yet every time he leaves prison he wows to better himself, stop drinking, stealing and taking drugs. Director Thorfinn Gudnason followed Lalli for three years, on his various trips to the Litla Hraun-jail, to the social services and favourite pubs, filled with friends. But through the haze of smoke and intoxication Lalli turns out to be an incurable optimist: “One joint a day keeps the blues away!”

Original Title: Lalli Johns
English title: Lalli Johns
Genre: Documentary
Language: Icelandic

Director: Thorfinnur Gudnason
Scriptwriter: Thorfinnur Gudnason
Editor: Thorfinnur Gudnason
Cinematographer: Thorfinnur Gudnason, Sigvaldi J. Kárason, Gudbergur Davídsson
Sound design: Thorbjörn Ágúst Erlingsson
Music: Thorbjörn Ágúst Erlingsson
Producer(s): Thorfinnur Gudnason
Co-producer(s): Gudbergur Davídsson
Production company: Villingur
Supported by: Icelandic Film Fund

Country: Iceland
Length: 85 minutes
Production format: DVCAM
Premiere date and year: March 29th 2001

Festivals
IDFA Amsterdam 2001

Awards & Nominations
Edda-Award, best documentary and best editing

Additional Information
Director's Statement
Excerpts from reviews